Luminous sign



Aug. 20, 1929- J. P. E. PETERSEN LUMINOUS S IGN Filed April 22, 1927 &2

7 Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES JENSrP. E. PETERSEN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

LUMINO'US sIeN.

Application filed April 22, 1927. Serial No. 185,747.

This invention relates to improvements in luminous signs.

It is the object of the invention to minimize fire hazard in theaters and the like by providing a sign for designating exits which is adapted under ordinary circumstances to be illuminated by electricity or some source of artificial light and which will in emergency be illuminated by a luminous paint preparation which is kept activated by the source of light within the sign.

Paints containing radium are so expensive as to be practically prohibitive for a device of this character. It has not been thought is practicable to use other light emitting paints in theaters because of the fact that theaters are ordinarily darkened and light emitting paints other than radium paints usually require activation by exposure to light. The

present invention contemplates, therefore, an arrangement by which a single sign may be illuminated alternatively by an incandescent light or by a light emitting screen, the arrangement being such that the light from the incandescent source will not only illumi nate the sign, but will also shine upon the screen in a manner\ adapted to keep the screen fully activated for emergency use. g It is well known that in case of fire it is usually necessary to cut electric wiring and to shut oil gas mains and the like. These expedients plunge the entire theater into utter darkness. In such a case, the luminous screens will light the exit signs, if permamently kept in condition for use by the normal operation of such signs.

While my primary purpose relates to. the

provision of a theater exit sign, it will be.

understood that the invention has other apnation of room numbers in a hotel or other dark buildings, and I wish to make it clear that it is also my purpose to provide such a si for any service to which it may be a apted.

In the drawings: Figure 1 isa front elevation of a sign embodymg this invention. Figure 2 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line 2 2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line 3-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section similar to that shown in Figure 2 illustrating a modified form of sign embodying this invention.

plications such, for example, as the,i1lumi-.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through a further modified construction.

Like parts are identified by the same ref-- transparent or translucent openings in the form of the desired letters or other symbols which are to be illuminated. For the purpose of the present invention, these openings are shown to be in the form of the letters E, X, I and T for theater use. F urthermore, since it is desirable to exclude dust from the interior of the casing 10, it is preferred that the stencil plate 12 should comprise a glass panel having portions of its surface rendered opaque by the application of some heavy paint thereto as shown at 13, the intervening portions being transparent or translucent as shown at 14.

Immediately behind the stencil 12 in the present embodiment of the invention is placed a reflecting screen 15 which is clearly visible through the transparent or open portions 14; of the stencil. The screen 15 sets against stops 16 in the interior of the casin and is cut away at 17 along its'upper and lower margins to permit light to pass about the screen for the indirect illumination of its face from a source of light concealed therebehind. The screen 15 is preferably white in color and is provided with painted letters or symbols on its front face at 19 immediately behind the openings 14 in the stencil plate. The color of the luminous paint and the general color of the screen are preferably chosen to harmonize so that the screen when viewed through the stencil openings 14 will present a uniform, or substantially uniform, appearance throughout.

An incandescent source of illumination such, for example, as the electric bulb 20 is mountedin the rear of case 10- and operatively connected to some suitable source of power. As an alternative, a gas light or lamp may be used if the case is properly vented. A trough-shaped reflector 22 apertured to receive bulb 2O directs forwardly the light from such bulb and is provided with inwardly curving extensions 23 which ass about the screen adjacent the top and ottom of the case and converge toward the openings 17 above and below screen and is reflected upon the front face of the screen, from which it is reflected through the stencil openings 14 to the eyes of the observer. The observer sees merely the illuminated letters standing out in contrast to the dark background provided by the opaque portions of the stencil, the paint used for such portions being preferably dark red or black.

The fact that the luminous paint on the surface of screen 15 is constantly illuminated from source 20 and itself serves to reflect the light to the observer, ensures the re-activation of such paint during the continued use of the sign. If, however, the light 20 becomes extinguished for any cause, the luminosity of the paint at 19 upon screen 15 will appear with considerable intensity through the stencil openings thereby enabling the sign to function exactly the same to all outward appearances as if it were still illuminated by bulb 20.

The remaining modifications of the invention merely disclose additional means of transmitting the light. In the Figure 4 construction there is no reflecting screen. The stencil 12' corresponds to the stencil already described, having opaque paint at,13 and intervening areas 14 in the form of letters or symbols" which are free of opaque paint and hence are adapted to transmit the direct rays of light from bulb 20 and reflector 22. A. thin coating of luminous paint, however, is applied at 25 to render the glass at 14 translucent instead of transparent. In other words, the coating of luminous paint is thin enough for the direct transmission of light from the source 20 and is adapted, during the passage of such light, to receive re-activation therefrom. While I have shown the luminous paint 25 applied to the front of the stencil, it is obviously immaterial whether it is applied to the front or rear and my only purpose in illustrating it on the front of the glass is to clarify the drawing and to distinguish more readily the luminous paint from the opaque paint which defines the stencil.

In the Figure 5 construction the reflecting screen is again employed, but instead of a single bulb at the rear of such screen, a plurality of bulbs 27 are used in the corners of the sign to throw direct illumination upon the luminously painted surface 28 of the reflecting screen. The corner reflectors 29 contribute to the desired distribution of light from sources 27 and are arranged to pre vent such li ht from being" projected directly throng any of the openings 14 in the stencil 12. In this device, as in the construction originally described herein, the openings 14 are transparent, whereby'light reflected from screen 28 or emanating from the coating thereof is directly visible through the stencil apertures 14. v

It is obviously immaterial in a broad sense whether the luminous agency relied upon for emergency purposes is re-activated by light shining upon its face and reflected therefrom or light transmitted therethrough. It is likewise immaterial in a broad sense how the light from the incandescent source reaches the luminous paint. It is important, however, that the same illuminated surface be employed under all conditions for display and that such surface be kept reactivated for emergency display during the period of its normal function in transmitting, either by reflection or direct passage, the light rays of the incandescent source to the observer. It will be noted that the term transmitting in the preceding sentence is used generically to describe the function of the luminous material in reflecting light as in Figures 2 and 5, as well as its function in passing light as in Figure 4. I claim:

1. In a device of the character described,-

the combination with a plate having light transmitting portions arranged in the form of predetermined characters and coated with a luminous paint requiring re-activation, and means for supplying artificial light to said plate for transmission by said portions.

2. The combination with a casing having a stencil at its front with light transmitting portions in a predetermined pattern repre sentative of characters, a screen within said casing spaced behind said stencil and spaced from said casing along one of its margins,

whereby to permit the passage of light from one side of said screen to the other within said casing, an incandescent source of light behind said screen and adapted to radiate light between said margins and said casing, and a reflector in the front of said casing at one side of the light transmitting portions of said stencil positioned to reflect such rays upon the painted surface of said screen.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing, of a glass plate at the front thereof having portions of its surface opaquely coated and other portions in predetermined pattern adapted for light transmission, a screen within said casing spaced from said glass and spaced along its upper and lower margins from said casing, an electric lamp operatively mounted within said casing behind said screen, a reflector for said lamp, reflecting members at the front of said casing adapted to direct on said screen light passing between the margins of said screen and the casing, and a luminous paint requiring re-activation coating the face of said screen exposed toward said glass.

4. An illuminated sign comprising a casing, an incandescent light concealed therein,

a stencil plate at the front of said casing pro vided with opaque portions blocking 01f sign characters whereby positively and sharply to define the margins of said characters, a luminous, light transmitting means interposed in the path of light rays passing from said light through said characters.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a casing having a stencil plate at its front with light transmitting portions, of a reflecting screen having a luminously painted surface area, means including a source of light concealed within said casing for illuminating said area, light emanating from said area being Visible through said stencil, said screen being disposed between said stencil plate and said source of light and adapted to permit the passage of light from said source to the portion of said casing in front of said screen for the illumination of said area.

6. A device of the character described, including a casing having a plate at its front, portions of which in predetermined design are transparent in the form of sign characters and other portions of which are opaque;

a screen provided with a luminously painted surface behind transparent portions of said plate; and. means including a source of light concealed within said casing and adapted to illuminate the said surface of said screen, said screen being disposed between said stencil plate and said source of light, and

adapted to pass light from said source of the space between said stencil plate and screen.

7. The combination with a casing and a stencil at the front thereof provided with light transmitting portions, of a screen spaced from said stencil within said casing and adapted to permit the passage of light from the portion of the casing behind the JEN S P. E. PETERSEN. 

